Table Rock Night Regs?

[Sam]

Hey, I respect everybody posting here and I don't have any axes to grind - so to cool things down a bit I'll tell about a time I made a complete fool of myself on the lake. Maybe it'll keep someone who reads it from making the same mistake.

I hadn't had my boat too long, and I was running from one fishing "hotspot" to another with my fishing seats UP on both the front and back decks. It happens that on my boat when the front seat is up on the pedestal it blocks a lot of the view to the front when you're sitting in the driver's seat, and this was in the daytime.

I was running at my blistering top speed of 30 mph (hey, it seems fast to me) and peeking around that front seat both on the right and left. I knew where the channel was, and I thought I had nothing but clear water in front of me. Suddenly a boat appeared, sitting still and REAL close, from right behind that seat. The fishing seat had completely blocked my view, and I'd run right up on it.

The guys on the boat were standing up waving their arms at me - no wonder, they'd watched me coming right at them for a half mile. I threw my boat into a hard turn and killed the throttle, and I missed them - but it was 'way too close. I apologized to them, and I got a cussin' back, and I don't blame them a bit.

Since then, I always take the front fishing seat down off the pedestal before I run anywhere at any speed. Sometimes even when you think you're being careful something bad can happen, and it can happen awful fast.

[ozarkgunner]

Hey, I respect everybody posting here and I don't have any axes to grind - so to cool things down a bit I'll tell about a time I made a complete fool of myself on the lake. Maybe it'll keep someone who reads it from making the same mistake.

I hadn't had my boat too long, and I was running from one fishing "hotspot" to another with my fishing seats UP on both the front and back decks. It happens that on my boat when the front seat is up on the pedestal it blocks a lot of the view to the front when you're sitting in the driver's seat, and this was in the daytime.

I was running at my blistering top speed of 30 mph (hey, it seems fast to me) and peeking around that front seat both on the right and left. I knew where the channel was, and I thought I had nothing but clear water in front of me. Suddenly a boat appeared, sitting still and REAL close, from right behind that seat. The fishing seat had completely blocked my view, and I'd run right up on it.

The guys on the boat were standing up waving their arms at me - no wonder, they'd watched me coming right at them for a half mile. I threw my boat into a hard turn and killed the throttle, and I missed them - but it was 'way too close. I apologized to them, and I got a cussin' back, and I don't blame them a bit.

Since then, I always take the front fishing seat down off the pedestal before I run anywhere at any speed. Sometimes even when you think you're being careful something bad can happen, and it can happen awful fast.

Cool story. I'm glad nothing bad happened.

[rps]

Whack'em: My fault. I tried to be funny and somehow you became the butt of other's comments. Never intended that.

rps

[Trolling For Walleye]

Ugh.. it scares the crap out of me to think that some of you people would fish without lights on.

everytime i've driven at night I could barely see anything and I basically navigate by GPS alone.

[mclothier1]

Go ahead and fish with your lights off, just make sure to turn them back on when you see me coming so I can steer clear.

Whackem... one other question, as far as your speed... are you going off of the boats speedo, or a gps reading? I know boat speedo's can be way off, so maybe your not running quite as fast as you think? And no im not trying to tell you how to run your boat, you know it way better than me.

be safe out there, that is all.

[ozarkgunner]

Go ahead and fish with your lights off, just make sure to turn them back on when you see me coming so I can steer clear.

Whackem... one other question, as far as your speed... are you going off of the boats speedo, or a gps reading? I know boat speedo's can be way off, so maybe your not running quite as fast as you think? And no im not trying to tell you how to run your boat, you know it way better than me.

be safe out there, that is all.

Safe is all anyone could ever ask for.

[mclothier1]

And... dont do it like this, Bass Boat Crash

[redbud]

I normally dont get involved with the type of discussions but I have to agree with Wackem, my boat will not stay on plane at 30mph. 36 is about the slowest I can go.If ozark gunner would like to report me to the MAN I will post my registration numbers here ,let me know .IF some on hits mewhen I am fishing with my lights off at night it would be a heck of good piece of driving to avoid all the standing timber that is all around the boat in the back of a shallow cove. I wonder why a guy would buy a piece of German overpriced junk and never go 1mph over the speed limit. Im betting hypocrite here.If your not a cop you should be one because we need more people like you to tell us all what is right and wrong.JUst because a guy has a fast boat does not make him an idiot. Fishing is one of the passions in my life and I am fortunate enough at this point of my life to be able to afford a nice ,expensive ,FAST boat.I did not see an idiot line at the dealer where they were giving boats away.Be careful out there wackem, the Man might get you on the to the way to the scales. dont let this jerk get under your skin he is typical of the kind of child that hides behind the shield of the internet.Even his tag says something about his personality.

[jay bird]

My boat runs great at 30MPH, but I would rather have a guy run a little fasted on plane then try to run at 30 with his nose up in the air. As for the lights we fish with lights off until we hear a boat then light are on until the boat is clear. I see about 90% of other people doing the same thing on the lake. IF you are running in the 30's I really do not think you are going to get pulled over or are a real hazard. From what I can tell from Whackem's post over the years he seems like a really level headed guy that is free with his fishing information and loves to fish, I would not worry about him and look or bigger fish to fry.

Ski boat that play music you can hear from two miles away going down the lake at 60 at midnight would be a place to start.

[Bill Babler]

Have kind of let this ride to see the direction it was going. No one and I will repeat no one on this forum is more respected than Whacked. He not only talks it, but does it. No one person dictates how a forum runs, but Wacked is one of the most positive contributers we have. He is truthful and posts how, when, where, and why he does it. IS that the way you all ROLL, that are critizing him?

I will tell you now, that most tournament Bass getters with 21 foot of boat and 250 trogan horses pushing it will be hard pressed to keep her on the back pad at 30 mph. I am not condoning breaking any laws, as most of you know I was a MSWP officer in my earlier life, but I would much rather have the nose of my boat down than the nose up at 30 and under.

YES, YES, YES. a lot of your 20 footer and under especially the alum.rigs will have no problem keeping on even keel, under 30 MPH. But let us not jump on Wacked if his rig does not. I would just about bet any one of those of you throwing wakes at him, that you could not drive his rig on plane under 30.

30 was an arbatrary speed, I will tell you now, there was not a research study done by MSWP, it is just a number, it could have just as easily been 35MPH. Reaction time between 30 and 35 is no more than a fraction. AS a matter of fact with the ununiformity of boat hulls, and hull designs, it is completely umpredictable to determine either stopping distance an any spead, or manuvering distance to avoid an obstruction at any speed, it is just a speculation, and a guess at best. Most of us fished here when it was pedal to the medal. For the most part, I really don't believe there was a problem then and there for sure is not one now. Lake O. dictates the laws for the entire state, and that is what we are seeing. Lake O has night time boating and traveling to a greater extent than the Rock.

When I was MSWP on lake O in the early 80"s it was not uncommon to see and check well over a 100 boats per night, each and every weekend all Summer long. Some times several hundred between 9Pm and 2 AM. And mind you this, my territory was a short 15 mile stretch of the lake on the Osage Arm, considered the quiet part of the Lake. Never has there been that many on the Rock other than firecracker weekends. Most night time boaters on the Rock are fisherman, watching what they are doing. Lake O has drunks going from Bar to Bar, dodging other drunks. Resturant goes and pleasure boaters, all over the place, and also fisherman.

Before I see any more stones thrown at Wacked, anyone of you throwing them had not, better ever and I mean ever gone 57 mph in a 55, or 72 in a 70 MPH speed zone. I'm sure that will take care of you unless you are a colossal lier, cause everyone and I will reiterate it, everyone has broken the speed limit.

Lets go fishing and put this to bed!!!!!!

I